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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. toast — bread
  8. net — for catching
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mark — a grade
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com